Famous People Born In 1953

Tim Allen is an actor who has had a major impact on the lives of many children because of his work on The Santa Clause and the Toy Story franchises, for which he was named a Disney Legend in 1999. He is also a respected comedian who deals with subjects, such as social awkwardness, politics, gender differences, and everyday life.

Irish-American actor and film producer Pierce Brosnan is best known for playing secret agent James Bond in the Bond film series. As a young man, he trained at the Drama Centre London and made his acting debut soon after. First gaining fame as a TV actor, he didn’t take long to enter films as well.

Former American professional wrestler Hulk Hogan had a very successful career from the 1970s to the 2010s and won many championships. He has also acted in several movies. However, he has been accused of being a racist and a homophobic and a leaked sex tape involving him created quite a stir.

Mary Steenburgen is an American actress and musician. Also an active humanitarian, Steenburgen has been involved with several groups that work towards the welfare of people and the environment. In 2005, she inspired students at the Clinton School of Public Service with her lecture on students' role in public service.

A shy schoolgirl, Kim Basinger grew up to become a successful model, actress and singer. After appearing in numerous advertisements, Kim began acting on television. Her breakthrough role came with movie Never Say Never Again where she played the Bond girl. Later, she won accolades for her performance in movies like The Natural, Batman, L.A. Confidential and Fifty Shades Darker.

Cyndi Lauper is an American singer-songwriter, activist, and actress. Apart from her distinctive appearance, Lauper is also known for her achievements; having won three of the four major entertainment awards (Grammy, Emmy, Tony), she is consistently named in lists like 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll. Cyndi Lauper is also celebrated for her humanitarian work and charitable efforts.

Rick Moranis is one of the most popular Canadian artists to make it big in the American film industry. Best known for playing father characters in children's films like Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Rick proved to be a great father off-screen as he took a long break from his career to take care of his children, after the death of his wife.

John Malkovich is one of those rare actors who despite being highly regarded for his talent has been conspicuously missing from the headlines. From Hercule Poirot to Catholic Pope, Malkovich has portrayed each of his characters with zest and intensity that have earned him two Oscar nominations and a myriad of other prestigious awards.

Composer, singer, songwriter, and record producer, Danny Elfman is best known for his association with the new wave band Oingo Boingo. He has written over 100 feature film scores and has composed music for numerous TV shows and stage productions. He is the recipient of two Emmy Awards and one Grammy and has been nominated for the Academy Award.

Alfred Molina is an English-American actor. Renowned for his contribution across all three major acting mediums, Molina has received nominations for prestigious awards, such as Tony Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Apart from acting, Alfred Molina works toward spreading awareness about AIDS. He has also been donating towards AIDS research.

Four-time Grammy-winning rock artist Pat Benatar left her job as a teller to step into the music industry and is best known for her chartbusting tracks Hit Me with Your Best Shot, Fire and Ice, and Love Is a Battlefield. She has platinum albums in both the U.S. and Canada.

Paul Allen was an American investor, business magnate, and philanthropist. He is credited with co-founding one of the most popular multinational technology companies in the world, Microsoft Corporation. Along with his philanthropic activities and ownership of several other companies and sporting clubs, Paul Allen had a major impact on sports, wildlife, education, arts, healthcare, community services, environmental conservation, and more.

Bill Pullman was persuaded by his students to try his hand at acting while working as an adjunct professor at the School of Film and Photography of the Montana State University. He then started working with theater companies and eventually became a film actor. He is also a creative writer and serves on the Alfred University's Board of Trustees.

Michael Bolton is an American singer-songwriter who has sold over 75 million records so far. Apart from recording several top 10 albums on the Billboard charts, Bolton also has several prestigious awards under his belt, such as Grammy Awards. Also known for his charity work, Bolton set up the Michael Bolton Foundation in order to aid children and women.

Ahmad Shah Massoud was an Afghan military commander and politician. From 1979 to 1989, he played an important role in the Soviet-Afghan War, where he served as a powerful guerrilla commander. He was nicknamed Lion of Panjshir for his role in the war. Massoud was assassinated by Al-Qaeda in 2001. His death anniversary is observed as a national holiday in Afghanistan.

Malcolm Young was an Australian musician. He is credited with co-founding the popular rock band AC/DC. He is also credited with popularizing the band and was described by many as the leader and the driving force of the band. Widely regarded as one of the best rhythm guitarists ever, Young was a leading exponent of rhythm guitar in rock music.

Amy Irving is an American actress known for her contribution across all three major acting mediums. The daughter of Priscilla Pointer and Jules Irving, Amy Irving followed in the footsteps of her parents to establish herself in the American entertainment industry. Over the years, she has played an important role in the success of several TV series and films.

Kathie Lee Gifford achieved celebrity status by working as a television presenter. She then became a singer-songwriter and author, cementing her place in the entertainment industry. Also known for her charity work, Kathie serves as an ambassador for Childhelp, a non-profit organization working towards preventing child abuse.

Ken Burns is an American filmmaker best known for making documentary series, such as The Civil War, The War, and Prohibition. One of the most respected documentary filmmakers, Burns specializes in giving life to still photographs by zooming in on photographs and panning from one photograph to another; this technique is called the Ken Burns effect in Apple's software applications.

Wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, Brigitte Macron was, interestingly, her husband’s literature and theater teacher at Lycée la Providence. She was the chief strategist during Macron’s 2016-2017 election. Twenty-four years Macron’s senior, Brigitte, was to be the official “First Lady” of France, until a signature campaign thwarted such plans. 

James Remar is an American actor best known for playing Harry Morgan in the popular crime drama mystery TV series Dexter, for which he received nominations at the Saturn Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2012, his contribution to the American entertainment industry was honored with the Saturn Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Tito Jackson is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is one of the members of the famed Jackson family, which has produced popular musicians, including Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson. An original member of the popular pop band, The Jackson 5, Tito Jackson reached the peak of his success in the 1960s and 1970s.

Patti Scialfa is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter. The wife of popular musician Bruce Springsteen, Scialfa has been an important member of Springsteen's primary backing band, E Street Band, since 1984. As a member of the band, Patti Scialfa became an inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

Xi Jinping, President of China since 2013, is said to be the most powerful Chinese leader since Chairman Mao Zedong. He is an authoritarian leader and his reign is marked by an increase in censorship and deterioration in human rights . Also, China’s foreign policy under Xi has been more assertive, leading to a deterioration of relations with many countries.

Charlie Wilson is an American singer, record producer, and songwriter. He is credited with co-founding the now-defunct R&B and funk band, The Gap Band, for which he also served as the lead vocalist. As a solo artist, he has received several awards, including a couple of Lifetime Achievement Awards. Wilson is also an ardent supporter of American servicemen and women.

Former Taiwanese actor Joan Lin Feng-jiao is best known as the wife of Hong Kong martial artist Jackie Chan. She had to drop out of school at age 12 due to her family’s poor financial condition. She won a Golden Horse Award for The Story of a Small Town.

Alex Van Halen is an American musician known for his drumming skills. He is credited with co-founding the now-defunct band, Van Halen. The band's self-titled debut album influenced several musicians in hard rock at the time of its release in 1978. Alex is also credited with coining the term brown sound, which was usually associated with his late-brother Eddie's guitar.

Alan Moore is an English writer best known for his contributions to popular comic books, such as Batman: The Killing Joke, Watchmen, and The Ballad of Halo Jones. Some consider him to be the best comic book writer in the English language. His works have influenced several literary and television figures, such as Damon Lindelof, Joss Whedon, and Neil Gaiman.

Colm Meaney is an actor known for portraying Miles O'Brien in TV series, such as Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Also known for his significant film career, Meaney received the Best Actor IFTA for playing Martin McGuinness in The Journey. Meaney was named in The Irish Times' Ireland's greatest film actors list in 2020.

Moon Jae-in is a South Korean politician and the current president of South Korea. Although he was raised in poverty, Moon worked hard during his early years and went on to become a prominent politician. In 2018, he was named in Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People list.

Isabelle Huppert is a French actress best known for playing cold and disdainful characters. Regarded as one of the finest actresses of her generation, Huppert has won several prestigious awards, such as a BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, and César Awards. In 2020, Isabelle Huppert was ranked second on The New York Times' greatest actors of the 21st century list.

Benazir Bhutto was a Pakistani politician who served as Pakistan's prime minister in two separate terms and became the first woman in a Muslim majority nation to lead a democratic government. She was assassinated, at the age of 54, and after her death has been revered by many as an icon for women's rights.